of the Kaʿbah consisted of pieces of leather and maʿâfir[1] cloth. The Prophet covered it with Yamanite cloths, ʿUmar and ʿUthmân clothed it in Coptic cloths, and Yazîd ibn-Muʿâwiyah clothed it in Khusruwâni silk.[2] After Yazîd, ibn-az-Zubair and al-Ḥajjâj clothed it in silk. The Umaiyads during a certain part of their rule, clothed it in robes offered as tribute by the people of Najrân. The Umaiyads used to strip[3] the Kaʿbah of its old covers when the cloths of silk were put on. At last came al-Walîd ibn-ʿAbd-al-Malik who amplified the Ḥaram-mosque and conveyed to it columns of stone and marble, and mosaic. According to al-Wâḳidi, al-Manṣûr added to the mosque during his caliphate and rebuilt it. This took place in the year 139.
The reconstruction of the two mosques. It has been stated by ʿAli ibn-Muḥammad ibn-ʿAbdallâh al-Madâʾini, that Jaʿfar ibn-Sulaimân ibn-ʿAli ibn-ʿAbdallâh ibn-al-ʿAbbâs was made by al-Mahdi governor over Makkah, al-Madînah and al-Yamâmah. Jaʿfar enlarged the two mosques of Makkah and al-Madînah and rebuilt them.
Al-Mutawakkil—Jaʿfar ibn-abi-Isḥâḳ al-Muʿtaṣim-Billâh ibn-ar-Rashîd Harûn ibn-al-Mahdi—renewed the marble of the Kaʿbah, made a belt of silver around it, plated its walls and ceiling with gold—-which act was unprecedented—, and clothed its pillars with silk.[4]
